Devices which cut and chamfer pipe are used in numerous operations which require pipe to be cut to certain lengths and which also require the pipe after cutting to have a factory-like chamfer on the pipe ends. Such operations also may require that a pipe have grooves cut into the body of the pipe. Such cutting/chamfering/grooving devices in the prior art typically consist of a driving motor with a saw blade that is manually guided around the pipe to cut the pipe to the desired length. The pipe is then chamfered with a milling cutter in an additional process after it has been cut. If a groove is needed the pipe is manually cut with router, saw or rotary cutter to add a groove on the pipe body. The cutting/chamfering/grooving devices in the prior art perform the cutting, chamfering and grooving process as three individual steps. Each pipe end must be separately chamfered after it is cut and a groove must then be cut into the pipe body. Examples of prior art devices which pertain to cutting and chamfering pipe are disclosed in the following United States patents: U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,488 (Fahr) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,291 (Girardin). An example of a prior art device which pertains to grooving pipe is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,297 (Lotfi).
The devices of the prior art have, however, a number of problems and shortcomings. They often are not mobile and do not have the ability to field-cut pipe, chamfer the cut ends and groove the pipe all in one step. In comparison, the common practice is to manually cut through the pipe, next chamfer one end at a time using a cut-off saw and then using an abrasive cut-off saw groove each pipe. The devices in the prior art cannot add a groove to the pipe body unless it is manually done in an additional step with an abrasive cut-off saw. It would be desirable to have a cutting/chamfering/grooving device which is mobile and provides the ability to field-cut pipe, chamfer the cut ends and add a groove to the pipe body, all in one step through the use of a single tool. Having a device such as this would make the cutting/chamfering/grooving of a pipe efficient and not a time-consuming three-step process.
In addition, most cutting/chamfering/grooving devices of the prior art achieve a cut, bevel and groove that is inherently inconsistent and inferior. A primary concern is that a non-uniform bevel is more likely to cut seals used in pipe connections and create expensive waste of materials. Furthermore, it is an unsafe practice, not the least because a cut-off saw is not designed to be used as an angle grinder to make a chamfer. This can make the process inconsistent and inferior. It would be desirable to have a cutting/chamfering/grooving device which overcomes these problems by allowing the user to quickly and accurately cut, chamfer both cut ends and add a groove to the pipe body simultaneously on various sized pipes, including the most common pipe sizes used in construction (6″, 8″, 10″ and 12″) as well as pipes of larger sizes.
Additionally, most cutting/chamfering/grooving devices of the prior art employ practices which could be unsafe. It would also be desirable to have a cutting/chamfering/grooving device which is safe and easy to use during operation. A desirable feature would be to have a motor carriage hold the pipe in a secure manner and travel around the pipe rather than a pipe rotating around a cutter. A feature such as this would contribute to the safety of the device.
This invention meets these needs and overcomes other problems and shortcomings in the prior art with a cutting/chamfering/grooving device that is mobile, cuts/chamfers/grooves pipe in one step as well as quickly and accurately and is safe to operate.